The Ugly

I said I would show all the facets of life on the farm.  Today I will show some uglies.

First the personal stuff for my own references.  I slept very well last nigh, a full 8 hours!  I am now starting the generic version of Zyrtec.  My allergies to pollen have me coughing a lot so I gave in.  Maybe that caused the sleep.  Who knows.
I will be taking it daily until this blasted hay is done.

Max took his mother shopping yesterday and did the major portion of mine.  I will do a little at  our local store for  items I thought would be more difficult for him to select.  He is a very great help to me!

Now for some uglies:

This is my work area right outside  the back porch door.  Here is where I leave everything I use for gardening, gloves, tools, plants, empty pots, watering cans, etc. 



More things are hidden behind the Korean Boxwood.

Aphids have found the nicotiana sylvestris (tobacco  plant)



I think the ground  hog found the broccoli plants.  I have never had large piece torn off before. (we put leaves in the trap and he ignored those, preferring the fresh ones!)



This was taken from the road looking north.  I don't like how the trimmed cheat grass looks but refuse to try to rake it though the vining vinca (that I hope takes over  the entire ditch!).

That is a rugosa rose, Therese Bugnet. It is  very fragrant and very disease resistant.  It  does spread via roots which is why I planted it in the ditch area.  I need to order more.  Surely something will beat out the cheat grass.



Now the good part:  It was cut to the ground a few years ago so doesn't have as much bloom but what it does it wonderful,



Note: some more ugly behind.  That is the uncut cellar!

I love the crinkly, crushed tissue paper look,



OK, now I have depressed myself.  Enough! 

Have a wonderful weekend.

Grunt Work - Test Picture

Well the beetles were alive and well this morning after spraying yesterday with Sevin and a Bayer 3inl product. The roses look so sad; completely disfigured; same with a Rose of Sharon shrub by the garden gate.

Serious measures were called for so I broke out the battery powered sprayers. One is just a 15 gallon one I use for pesticides and diseases and the other is a 25 gallon one for herbicides.....yes, Virginia, I do resort to these things were push comes to shove!

I read the malathion label and it listed Japanese Beetles so I mixed up 5 gallons of it and sprayed most things. I need to pick the pole beans before I hit them again.

Went back to the orchard and sprayed those trees. The beetles don't seem to care about the peaches.....sprayed them anyway. I also took time to water all the trees again.

Back to the barn and mixed up 5 gallons of glyphosphate to spray some areas that I can't trim. Ran out of spray before I really got finished but I stopped anyway.

I noticed that the beetles are dropping off the roses by the back door either dying or dead. At last something that works. It may be the hose-end products are too weak a solution. I never trust that kind of spraying.

One of the glads was covered with the darned things.

Thursday Morning, July 7, 2011

Up at 3 AM again. It is overcast today so I plan to try to trim the front ditch with the string trimmer.

By 6 AM, I rev it up and begin. I was able to do both sides of the drive. I should have taken before and after pictures, but I didn't so I won't take one now.
It is not a thing of gardening beauty! It began a light shower when I was about half finished but I was determined to get it done.....so I wouldn't have to 'look forward' to it again.

I came in changed clothes (I blow grass all over me when I trim...maybe because I am left handed?)and made a new pot of coffee. DH is out on the porch swing right next to my desk. I cracked open the window so we could chat if need be. It is still showering but very, very lightly.

I will have to re-spray.........I don't really mind because the malathion seemed to give a very good kill. I did pick up two traps yesterday afternoon when we went to the feed store for salt blocks for the cows. I will put them up some time today.

We stopped by the library yesterday before the feed store. Our location is perfect for us: 20 miles from Springfield, 5 miles from a new library and wonderful local super market and maybe 7 miles from a hardware and the feedstore.

What more could a country gal want!

I am thinking about make bread again today. I haven't decided exactly what kind yet.

Summer Flowers

This is a test.

The same daylily growing in diferent locations. Can you see a difference?